Chapter 602: Chapter 597: Slender Waist of Chu Pavilion, Fiery Flame Divine Leopard

Qin Feng’s return had undoubtedly plunged the entirety of Qifeng Mountain into jubilation.

Not only did all members of the Qin clan cheer and leap for joy, thrilled about the return of their Chosen Son, but cultivators from various families working around the mines of Qifeng Mountain spread the news of Qin Feng’s return at the earliest opportunity.

Upon receiving the news, all families related to the Qin clan immediately got ready and brought various gifts to pay a visit.

Regardless of whether these families had marriage ties with the Qin Family or business entanglements, they all rushed over, controlling the sky as they flew in excitement.

Especially for those families with ties of kinship to the Qin Family, their enthusiasm was even greater than that of other cultivators.

After all, these families had greatly benefited from following the Qin Family over the years.

Particularly, several families that possessed either intelligence or special Cultivation Technique Inheritances had secured good positions within the Qin Family’s mines. By leveraging their inherited skills to help refine the mines, they gained access to more resources, allowing their families to grow several times stronger in just a few decades. Not only had they added many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but some smaller families had even managed to cultivate Golden Core Cultivators.

These families were well aware that all they had obtained came from the Qin Family. With the Heavenly Pride leading the rise of the Qin Family returning home, how could they not come to visit?

Even if their status might not warrant a meeting with Qin Feng, they still had to show the proper respect, and so they all came.

In fact, not just them. Upon receiving the news, the whole of Tieling County, and even the entire Chu Kingdom’s large and small cultivator families were mobilized. Numerous heads of families came to visit, and even the Chu Kingdom’s Royal Family sent an old, powerful figure accompanied by seven or eight princesses to Qifeng Mountain.

As to why they brought so many beautiful princesses, that was a matter of perspective, one for the benevolent to see benevolence and the wise to see wisdom.

The Chu Kingdom’s Royal Family was nominally the rulers of the Chu Kingdom, but they only had control over commoners who knew nothing of cultivation. They had no real power over cultivator families.

However, the Chu Kingdom’s Royal Family was quite adept at handling affairs. On ordinary days, they maintained relatively good relations with all the major families in the country. Local leaders in the counties likewise would not dare to offend the local cultivator families easily. A family like the Qin Family, which everyone knew would flourish even more in the future, was particularly an object of the Royal Family’s attention.

In recent years, the Royal Family had indeed maintained good relations with the Qin Family. Mostly because, after the King of Chu figured out Old Family Master Qin Guanbao’s preferences, he indulged them, inviting Qin Guanbao to visit the Royal City and showing him the true Chu Pavilion, and what it meant to have a slender waist.

From then on, Qin Guanbao became a sworn friend of the King of Chu, sharing drinks and merriment together every year to express their sincere friendship!

So, within just a few days, the area before Luofeng Cliff became crowded. Even the Qin Mansion, originally quite spacious, began to feel cramped.

Moreover, more and more cultivators were arriving at Qifeng Mountain, riding various Spiritual Beasts and Flying Artifacts.

Most of those riding Spiritual Beasts were from cultivator families affiliated with the Beast Taming Sect, naturally feeling a kinship with families like the Qin Family, which also belonged to the Beast Taming Sect.

Qin Feng was unaware of these visitors. Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn’t pay them much heed.

With his current status and identity, his appearance would cause a sensation wherever he went, let alone a relatively remote place like Tieling County.

At the moment, he was in the Cave Mansion, acting as a protector for his father, watching over him as he refined the Fire Spirit Fruit!

After all, this was a fruit born from a Spirit Root that had grown in the Fire Kingdom for who knows how many tens of thousands of years; it contained not only the violent principles of the Fire Element but also pure and immense Fire Element Spirit Power. Thanks to his solid foundation, Qin Feng had initially directly consumed and refined it without any problems.

But his father, Qin Long, wasn’t as well-founded as him!

Although Qin Long was strong and had a Demon Dragon as his Lifebound Spiritual Beast which, even if placed in the Inner Sect of the Beast Taming Sect, would be considered an outstanding Golden Core Cultivator.

His biggest weakness was his lack of accumulation.

After all, he didn’t have the opportunities that Qin Feng had. He hadn’t gone through the same trials and instructions from senior cultivators in a Major Sect, and his Lifebound Spiritual Beast was even younger, having just passed its juvenile stage among the Giant Dragon Clan. This led to insufficient foundations for Qin Long; otherwise, if he had a hundred years or so to settle, Qin Long could actually rival the top Golden Core Cultivators of a Major Sect.

Now, Qin Feng, eager for quick results, wished to help his father refine the Fire Spirit Fruit and achieve the Purple Mansion as soon as possible, so he needed to be careful.

Otherwise, were anything unexpected to happen to his father, he would regret it deeply.

Indeed, Qin Feng knew that some skilled Alchemists could refine spirit fruits containing the Power of Heaven and Earth Laws like the Fire Spirit Fruit into Dao Golden Pills, which allowed one to more easily assimilate the principles and power within after consumption, a much safer method than directly consuming and refining spirit fruits.

However, this sort of safety, when viewed from another angle, also weakened the efficacy of the Fire Spirit Fruit. The original power was divided into several parts, inevitably dissipating some of the Dao Principle. Plus, the Alchemist would take one or two Dao Golden Pills as their compensation, so the final effect was definitely not as powerful as that of the complete Fire Spirit Fruit.

That’s why Qin Feng had chosen this method for his father to directly consume and refine the Fire Spirit Fruit.

Before refining, he had assessed that his father was strong and robust, his body exceptionally sturdy due to consuming a Dragon Spirit Fruit. Although Qin Long had not practiced Body Refinement Techniques, his physique was very robust–stronger than many Foundation Establishment Body Cultivators!

That was the reason Qin Feng dared to have his father refine the Fire Spirit Fruit directly!

Boom…

As Qin Long swallowed the Fire Spirit Fruit, a violent and scorching aura immediately emanated from his burly body, making the spacious cave mansion feel as though it was situated within a furnace.

This was after Qin Feng had applied a secret technique in advance to seal the majority of the Spiritual Power within the Fire Spirit Fruit, leaving only a small opening for Qin Long to slowly refine. Even so, it still caused quite a disturbance, with the faint Fire Element Principle emerging in the void, leaving behind traces of elusive fiery symbols.

Fortunately, the cave mansion was protected by its own wards, so the anomaly was not exposed. Otherwise, the mere commotion caused by the Fire Element Principle would have been enough to ignite the entire mountain top.

Qin Feng dutifully watched over his father, occasionally offering pointers on the tricks of refining the Fire Spirit Fruit and sharing his own insights into the Fire Element Principle, allowing his father an easier time in the refining process.

Because he had sealed off most of the Fire Spirit Fruit’s potency, while slowing down the outflow of its power, it also prolonged the time Qin Long required for refining.

Three days later, Qin Feng noticed his father’s refining had stabilized, so he slowly stood up and left the cave mansion, leaving his father to continue refining the power of the Fire Spirit Fruit and to comprehend the Principle it contained.

Stepping outside, Qin Feng found Qin Mansion bustling with activity, people flitting about, which left him somewhat stunned.

“How is it, how’s your father doing now?”

The moment Qin Guanbao saw Qin Feng appear, he hurried over.

“Everything is normal. It all depends on whether my father can break through his Cultivation Realm after refining this Fire Spirit Fruit.”

Qin Feng replied with a slight smile, “If not, we’ll just refine another one. I refuse to believe my father can’t advance to the Purple Mansion!”

Hearing these words, despite Qin Guanbao having experienced many tumultuous events over the years and even having accepted that Qin Feng had become the Son of Biluo’s Qi Luck, he couldn’t help but tremble at his casual mention of using another equally precious fruit.

Such Spirit Fruits that contained the Dao Principles were incredibly precious, yet in Qin Feng’s words, they seemed as though they were not valuable, cavalierly suggesting to use another.

If those cultivators who had been trapped at the Golden Core Peak for hundreds of years without progressing knew about it, they would surely go mad with envy!

“Hehe, Uncle Guan, there’s no need to worry like that. Although Fire Spirit Fruits are precious, during a previous trial, I obtained a Fire Element Spirit Root bearing several fruits, which should be enough for you and my father to use.”

Seeing the Old Family Master’s expression change unpredictably, Qin Feng quickly tried to reassure him, lest the elder got too agitated and disrupted his spirit.

“Ah…”

Qin Guanbao sighed lightly, “It’s actually quite a pity to use such precious treasures for my refining. Do you know how many resources we could trade for such heavenly and earthly treasures? I’ve only cultivated to the Golden Core Late Stage and have two or three hundred years of life span left. If I cultivate slowly, there’s no saying I couldn’t advance to the Purple Mansion…”

“Absolutely not!”

Qin Feng said, “If you cultivate step by step, and I can also procure some special resources from the Sect for you, it’s indeed possible that you could have a chance to advance. But that would take too long.

You also know about my situation. In the future, I’ll spend even less time returning to the Clan. If I achieve the Immortal Dao, I might even devote more time to battles in the Outer Realms. Naturally, I want to enhance the family’s strength as much as possible while I’m still at home. Only in this way can we ensure that the Clan’s development follows the right path.

Even if I’m unable to return to the Clan for a long time, as long as you and my father are here, the Clan won’t be easily troubled by calamities.”

He didn’t spell out some deeper issues, but he believed that, with the Old Family Master’s astuteness, he would surely understand.

After a moment, Qin Guanbao sighed softly, “Alright then, let’s do as you said.

Ah, just thinking about using such a precious heavenly treasure for my advancement pains my heart; such objects containing the Dao Principles are exceedingly rare.”

“The finest treasures are meant to be used by people. If we don’t use them, aren’t they no different from rocks?”

Qin Feng laughed, not continuing the topic, “How has your Shadow Leopard been these past few days? Has it adjusted to the essence blood of the Fiery Flame Leopard?”

“Not bad.”

The Old Family Master nodded, “The essence blood of the Fiery Flame Leopard you provided is extremely pure, and there was no significant reaction when merged into my Lifebound Spiritual Beast. Now, it has already begun to manifest some Flame Power, and I believe that after a while, when more essence blood is integrated, it will certainly awaken its Flame Divine Power!”

“That’s good!”

Qin Feng said, “This Fiery Flame Leopard is a type of Half-Elemental Monster with extraordinary strength that I hunted in the Fire Kingdom during my trials. I killed several of them, gaining enough essence blood for you to nurture your Lifebound Spiritual Beast, so please don’t be sparing with it.”

According to the Beast Taming Sect’s traditional methods of nurturing Spiritual Beasts, the more essence blood, the better. Only with sufficient essence blood can the Spiritual Beast awaken stronger Divine Powers.

Qin Guanbao smiled slightly, “I know what you mean, and I’ve never planned to cut corners for you. Rest assured, this concerns my Daoist path, and I will certainly not skimp on it.

Hehe, after all, I, too, am a cultivator who has reached such a realm, and I do not wish to stop here; I also want to experience the higher Realms and see for myself what it is like to become an Immortal and achieve the Dao!”